A USA Adventure Bike
Harley Davidson ha snow ventured into the adventure bike category by announcing its launch of the Pan America 1250 on February 22. Advertised by the manufacturer as “Pan America 1250 motorcycle is a two-wheeled multi-tool built to endure, designed to explore, and engineered for adventure.” And could be more suitably stated for this new and exciting range for the prominent American manufacturer. There are advertising the new machine as having an upright riding position, mid-mount foot controls, tall and includes a passenger’s seat. The Pan America is versatile and is suitable for on-road off-road use, used for mainly touring as well as detouring off the main route.
The pan America is powered by a V twin liquid-cooled 1250cc engine that is capable of producing 150bhp with its power band tuned so that the rider has complete control. The 1250 is compiled of a dual-purpose powertrain and. So, called a revolution in motorcycle design. The Revolution Max 1250 is a structural part of the chassis that does away with the frame, therefore reducing unnecessary weight.
The driver electronics can be changed with a flick of a switch. There are five rider modes to choose from. You can select from Sport, Rain, Road, off-road or off-road plus modes. The adventure motorbike is fitted with Engine braking, cornering ABS and Cornering traction control. The usual speedo has now been changed to a colour 173mm TFT screen that has Bluetooth connectivity capabilities. The bike is also fitted with a USB port.
Pan America has a starting price in the UK of £14000 for a black version of the motorbike.
The machine is taller than any other Harley Davidson. It stands with a ground clearance of 210mm. The frame of the new adventure motorbike is made from standard steel tubular sections. All the sections that the frame is made up of are bolted directly to the engine. The main advantage to all this bolt on bolt off stuff is that if you do take the bike off-road, and you will, there is a good chance that you will down it and bend some of the parts. It’s a more straightforward repair job, just unbolt the bent bits and replace it with a new one. Harley Davidson has thought of most things for this new off-roader. A lot of the new concept is to protect every part of the motorbike as best as they could, and they have by using guards and shields around most components. The headlight is protected by a letterbox shield inhibiting even the friendliest rock or stone hitting it. The fuel tank filler cap is evidently more forward on the tank; the idea is so that you can use tank bags, and they won’t get in the way when you fill-up.
The Special version of the 1250 has a pretty mean trick up its sleeve. The bike is fitted with a selectable adaptive ride height. A new concept not seen on many motorbikes before. The boke can anticipate that you are about to come to a stop. It automatically lowers itself, enabling you to flat foot the motorbike when you stop. The bike is more adaptable for any sized rider than any other adventure bike, so easy to get on and off.